First published
in News
by Pete Hughes, Reporter covering Abingdon and Wantage, South Oxford and Kennington. Call me on 01865 425431

VOLUNTEERS are needed to help search for people missing in Oxfordshire.

Already this year, Thames Valley Police have called on Oxfordshire lowland Search And Rescue (OxSAR) to help with more searches than during the whole of 2013.

The hunts for grandmother Jackie Gulliford and a woman found in the Thames by Oxford Ice Rink are just two of the 30 cases they have tackled.

Volunteer Steve Archibald, 44, who runs an oven cleaning business by day, said: “The police search experts have realised what a resource we are. We are free and we allow them to do what they do best.

“As a result we have had a phenomenal amount of work this year.”

Police called on OxSAR to help search for Firzana Saeed, of Hill View Road, Oxford, when she was reported missing on March 14.

Group volunteers found her body the following day in the Thames behind Oxford Ice Rink while searching the river by boat.

Mr Archibald, a dad-of-one from Summertown, said: “The river was going very fast, we had to hold the throttle steady to keep the boat still. They saw something in the water and didn’t know what it was until they got right next to it.

“You have to be made of stern stuff – there isn’t always a happy ending.”